What happened
During the landing phase, the aircraft encountered an approximate 50-degree crosswind from the left, with wind speeds ranging between 6 and 17 knots. As the nose landing gear made contact with the runway, the airplane began to pull to the left violently and uncontrollably. In an attempt to correct the deviation, the pilot applied right rudder. However, the aircraft traveled off the left side of the runway onto the grass. The aircraft came to rest in an upright position with the nose landing gear collapsed.
The investigation
Investigators identified arching skid marks on the runway produced by the nose and right main landing gear tires; notably, the mark from the nose landing gear tire was significantly darker. Damage was observed on the right side of the nose gear wheel. A metallurgical examination of the nose landing gear trunnion revealed a fractured right lug, but no preexisting anomalies were found. Additionally, no discrepancies were discovered within the nose gear steering system.
Findings
Investigators noted that mechanical or operational issues, such as rudder input, can result in the nose gear tire not being aligned with the runway at touchdown. At the time of the investigation, no specific determination could be made as to why the nose landing gear wheel assembly was not properly aligned with the runway during the landing.